Exercising-machine



2 SheeLsSl11eet, 1.

D. P. BUTLER. Exercising Machine. No. 223,798

Patented Jari. 27,1880.

M m 5. M

N. PETERS, PHOT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

n. P. BUTLER. Exercising Machine. No. 223,798. I Patented Jan. 27, 1880.

-Wfl ESSEIE. IqVE iiElY.

uv Perms, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. wAsmucau, nv

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID P. BUTLER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXERClSlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,798, dated January27,. 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID P. BUTLER, of Boston, county of Suffolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Health- Lift orExercising Apparatus, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings is a specification.

This invention relates to a health-lift or exercising apparatusforhygienic purposes; and it consists in an apparatus whereby the head ismade the medium for lifting a weight or overcoming the resistance of aspring or lever, or equivalent.

In this embodiment of my health-lift or exercisin g apparatus,denominated by me the head-lift, I have made a head-piece to bear uponthe head of the person who is to lift, and, in connection with the rodof the said headpiece, I have added certain weights, or weights andsprings, and in this apparatus I have arranged the platform so as torest upon springs or to be rigid.

In all other forms of exercising apparatus known to me the weight,spring, or other device to be moved has been moved by the hands orshoulders.

Figure 1 represents, in vertical'section, one form of my improvedhealth-lift or exercising apparatus; Fig. 2, a partial top view andsection on the lines a: at, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an end view of Fig. 1, andFig. 4 a detail to be referred to.

The frame-work a may be of any proper form to sustain the working parts,and of any suitable material.

The platform bis shown supported by a series of springs, c, any desirednumber being employed, the springs being more orless strong, asrequired. This platform, upon which the person stands when lifting, isherein shown as adapted to descend under strain into the base of theframe-work.

The head-piece e is herein shown as an annular block suitably padded atits lower side,

as at 2, so as not to injure or rest unpleasantly upon the head of theperson. This headpiece is attached to the lower part of the rod ff, andis made vertically adjustable with reference to the part f of the saidrod, to place the head-piece at the proper distance above the platform,the connection between Application filed September 5, 1879.

f and f being by screw-threads. The upper portion,f,of this rod isextended through the plates 9 g and a washer, 9 which rests on plate g,after which f receives a spring, h, it being held thereon by a nut, h,secured to the end of f and the said nut is attached, by the cord h orother flexible connection, with the weight-holding rod 7L3, upon whichare weights k sufficient in amount to fully or a little more thancounterbalance the weight of the head-piece and rod and their connectedparts. The part f of the rod has a locking device, herein shown as apin, f the ends of which extend outward, as shown in Fig. 4, the saidends being adapted to pass through a slot, 3.

When the apparatus is to be used the rod ff is drawn down and partiallyrotated, so that the pin f stands across the slot 3, below the plate 9,as in Fig. 1, wherein the spring h is shown as partially compressed.Then the head-piece is adjusted to rest upon the head of the person whois to lift. The said person stands with his legs somewhat bent, so thatas his legs are straightened he will, by his head in contact with thehead-piece, lift the rod f f so that the pin f 2 therein, restingagainst the lower side of plate y, will lift the said plate, and with itthe rods 11 'i and their attached head weights 4 4, which may be more orless in amount, according to the strength or need of the individual.During this straightening of the legs the platform will slightly settle.

After the person has lifted the head-weights it is desirable to have himagain bend his knees to his starting position to lower the weights andrelieve his head from pressure, and then it is desirable to have thehead-piece automatically lifted from his head, that he may straightenhis body without resistance. To accomplish this latter the rod f f maybe turned partially until the pin f and slot 3 coincide, when the springh will suddenly start upward therod and head-piece, and thecountor-balance 7L will complete the movement.

The springs j j are compressed more or less by the head-weights, andthereby enable the weights, when in their lowest positions, to be moreor less counterbalanced, in order that the person lifting may graduallypick them up, and not lift the full weight until nearly straight, andthus prevent the sudden applicationvot' the Weight to the person, or itssudden removal.

The head-Weights are shielded by guards k.

If desired, the platform I) may be held fixed by means of pins 7), andpins Z may be made to support the plate 9 instead of the springs j, andthen the apparatus will be rigid-that is, the weight lifted will be adead-Weight.

I do not desire to limit this my invention to any particular form ofhead-piece.

I may, if desired, provide the head -piece with springs, so that as thehead-piece is lifted the stress of the springs will be overcome.

The cord h is extended over suitable pulleys.

Instead of head-Weights, it is obvious that I may use equivalentsthereofviz., springs or levers.

The apparatus herein shown to tit the head may be applied to my own orany usual liftjug-machines.

I claim 1. In a health -lift or eXercisingmachine,

a platform and a head -piece, and connected Weights or equivalents,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a health-lift or exercising-machine, a cushioned head-piece, a rodto which it is attached, a plate, and attached head Weights,substantially as described.

3. In a health-lift or exercising-machine, the head-weights andhead-piece, combined with springs to permit the gradual application ofthe head-Weights to the head, substantially as described.

4. In a healtlrlift'or exercising-machine, a counterbalanced head-pieceand its carryingrod and locking device, to permit the headpiece to beelevated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID P. BUTLER.

W'itnesses:

G. W.'GREGORY, J 0s. P. LIVERMORE.

